Reporter & Farmer changes hands, Suhrs sell to Fanger

One of Day County’s oldest businesses, the Reporter & Farmer is the only newspaper of the county to have a continuous record of publication without a change in the publication name. As of Oct. 1 LeAnn and John Suhr have sold their interest in the Reporter & Farmer and The Day County Printing Co., Inc. to Amanda Fanger.

Fanger has been with the Reporter & Farmer since January 2013. During that time she has won numerous state awards for her writing and photography as well as a national award in 2017 for promoting effective public notices and educating the public about their right to know.

The Suhrs will be staying on with the newspaper for now. LeAnn will continue to handle the engraving and commercial printing and John will continue with advertising sales. Both John and LeAnn will help Fanger adjust to her new role.

“It has been great the support we have received over the years from not only businesses, but our subscribers. These people are not just business people and subscribers, but have become friends since coming here in 1993. We feel confident in Amanda and the job she will do for subscribers and businesses,” said John Suhr.

Fanger said, “This publication has a long and storied history and I am eager to carry forward its strong tradition of excellence, long-established by those publishers who came before me. There are no words to adequately express my gratitude to John and LeAnn for this amazing opportunity. I am excited to be the next link in the future of newspapers in our corner of the world while continuing to serve the communities of Day County and the surrounding area to the best of my ability. This is a big, new adventure God is taking me on and I’m ready to put in the work.”

The paper’s 141-year tradition will continue with Fanger as owner and publisher. Since its inaugural issue Sept. 15, 1881, there have been only seven publishers, starting with founder A.C. Tuttle. The Suhrs purchased the newspaper Jan. 1, 1998 from Larry and Jan Ingalls and Harold Jones who took ownership of the Reporter & Farmer July 1, 1965 after purchasing the publication from Harold Card and Gus Herr partnership.